Two-row implement



May 5, 1953 A. A. scHMl-rz Two-Row INIPLEIMENTl File@ Nov. 7. 1947 Il` a" SW INVENTOR 3a (y, 37 ALBERT A. SCHMITZ sa! sql 37 ATTORNEYS May 5, 1953 A. A. scHMlTz 2,637,263

TWO-ROW `IMPLEMENT Filed Nov. 7, 1947 2 SHEETS-*SHEET a INVENTOR ALBERT A. scHMnz ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1953 ,NIT ED .STATES PATENT FIDEL yTWOJR/W IMPLEMENT .Albert 1A. Schmitzf'iRacine, yWis.

Application'November 7, 1947,"Serial'No."784;599

erators lof the fitwo `units''wilhavelfr'ee use of their "hands without interfering with one 'ariother.'

A furtherrobjeot V'oiiny invention 'is'ito provide Aavdouble *frow v-'transpl'anter *having fal novelffoffset main-'axle' carrying the ground "lwheels,"whereby the desired :location `oi? "the unitsrelative to fone another can be .'obtained.`- 'With these andfotherobjeotshe invention 'consists `in 'the `,novel construction, varrangement- `'and specifically described fandfclaimed, and 'illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichdrawing:

Figure /1 is 1a top Vplan View of `my improved double r-row transplanter,parts of @the view bein'g shown` broken vaway' fand lin section to illustrate v structural 4anddetail;

Figure :Zis a side elevational vviewvof the ddiible row ftransplanter, parts `-o'f the view *being "shbwn brokeny away '.and Vin section.

Figure 3 l is -an=-enlarged 4kfragmentary detail vertical sectional View through the Itranspla'nter taken fon' the tline :i3-43 of LFigure il 'looking in the direetionv 'of the *arrows illustrating ffthe -f novel circuit closer fdrthe solenoids of *the -water valves-y the -v circuit "being vishownfdiagrammatidally.l

Figure 4 an enlarged fragmentary detail verticalV sectional 'view through 'one fof` the water valves, thesection being 'takenon the line 4J-4 of Figure 1 looking Yinithe direction-'oi the 'arrows'.-

Reierring'fto-'tliedrawings in =detailgfwherein similar referencedcharaoters' 'designate corre` spondingparts throughout several' views the letter '1*generally-indioates my'novel double' row--^transi planter.

fThe -f-transplanter 5T jineludes "a uframeflSf .the

essentialV part loi which comprises theonset-.axle beam 6. This/*axle beam-6 extends bdiagonally across the xfr'amefandflhas fsecuredf'to ends stub'faxles 1 Mainiground-'whee'ls s-are rotaia# ablyY mounts/dfon f-the estub? axlesr-v Hence, yone `ground ywheel 3 is fadva'nc'efo'f fthe soth'erfzand is out .of transverse alignment with fsaidffotlier wheel; The y'framefitself Sis mounted "upon tliis axle .and canV be vfabricated out `of any :desired material and assembledin the mostV advantageous manner `:suitabie 1to the tmanufaoturef illustrated, thefr'ame includesl a if ront transverselyextending `beam "9 to whichis ysecurecl-"fat one end, `the longitudinally y'extending side `:bea-rn I0. This side beam I0 extends downwardly' and rearwardly from the front'beamfileandthenfextends upwardly .and :rearwardly toward the faxle .beam This side Lbeamthen' terminates inia straight :position I'I which :is rigidly 4seeured .to the-axle beam- B. `On Athe opposite iside `o`f'1the frame ean `extended side Ebeam 12,*which-1islsecuredafat its forward Iend y*to nthe front b'eam 149. This beam extends rearwardlyfand downwardly at an: angle lbelow :anddbeyond 'the axl'efbeam' 6. Arranged above the '-sid'e ubeam '11.2 "is 'a lt'op's'ide beam-13.1 This! beam l 3 .extends over and isrigid: lyfsecuredto the axle beam 6 .andeontinue's rear;- Wardly beyondfisaid axle fbeain.l

`In "order 'to effectively fbrace :the `frame starmi--v ture; fan 'upper-:transverselyextended front beam ildis `provided- :andfthisbeam isarranged above 'and in rear-'of the front main ibeam' 9; Uprights i5 and? lr6 are "employed fior connecting the beam I4 with the sidebeamswl Landi12. i `lo'rwardly extending bia'oe` :strapsfl y'l are employed 'for `zeonnecting ithe beam Il 4 land the fbeamiS.: fAhitch tongue irl 8 is .securedato fthe `iront :beam 9 fandithe beam?. i4 so that thefatransplanter canfb'e mon-Y ne'ctedto 'a :tractor nr :the "likea An .intermediate longitudinally extending beam.' t9 is Ials'o zprovided and this beam :corresponds :to fthe beams] li tand is` arranged inr spaced "parallel relation' to 4'andfin the same vhorizont-,rail plane with' wthe :"b'eam im. The irbe'arn il 5 'is secured'at itsriorv/'ard end to *the front beamiiS -iand-hasiits rear-end indlinediup-i-Y Wardly and rearwardly, as at 20,.'to them'ain vaxle @Giand:`thi'sbeam is rigidly secured 'to said axle.l fbeams-l''and I9 in effectformith'e fra-me fior :one unit fof y the itransplanter, as "will lbelater sei; forth;

An' intermediate :beam :22 is f-also provided 'sfor the frameandfthis ybeam122 =,corresponds id'entical-ly :with fthetop 'beam 113 fandlis varranged iin spaced parallelrel'ationthereto and ihas its Ier-'- wardfend'se'oured toztlre top .frontfibeamildg The beamssl' anden Lhaveitheir :rear ends secured to a rearu tooirame l'beam 23 lwhiohfcorr'e'sponds toit-he .top nframe zbeamgfll andz'is "arranged in spaced-parallaxrelationrtheifeto.r 'This' beamzS extendsxover-theraxlenbeamif andiis:rigidlyfrse-.-v

cured thereto and to the rear end of the main side beam I0.

In order that an adequate supply of water will be had for the transplanter, I provide a pair of spaced water tanks and 25. The tanks are oiset one from the other and are arranged on the opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the planter. Consequently the weight of the tanks and the water therein will be balanced on the frame. The tank 24 is rigidly secured to the frame beam II) and the top rear frame beam 23 and I can provide an additional frame beam support 26 for this tank which is secured to the axle beam 6 and said frame beam 23. The tank 25 is rigidly secured to the frame beam I3 and to a short supporting beam 21 which is secured at its rear end to the axle beam 6 and at its forward end to the front top frame beam I4. The frame can be braced in any other desired way such as by brackets 28 which connect the beams I2 and 2I adjacent their r-ear ends with beam 23. These brackets 28 are important, in that they help tov support the weight of the operators. Likewise additional supports can be provided for the water tanks whereneeded. Attention is also directed to the diagonally extending truss beam structure 28'. This structure braces the frame and prevents twisting thereby and helps to sup-port and distribute the weight of the operators on the seats 33 and 35.

As heretofore intimated, the frame T can be constructed best suited for the manufacture, but stress is laid on the position of the axle 'team 6, the beams I0 and I9 and the beams I2 and 2|. Attention'is directed to the fact that the beams I2 and 2| are arranged at one side of the beams ID and I9 and extend a considerable distance in rear of the beams I Il and I 9.

The water tanks 24 and 25 are connected at their lower ends by a pipe 29 so that the level of the water in the tanks'will be maintained equally therein at all times. One of the "tanks, namely the tank 25, has connected to its lower end an outlet T coupling 3 and this coupling has in turn secured thereto flexible water conducting pipes 3l and 32. Pipe 3| is employed for one unit of the transplanter and the pipe 32 is employed for the other unit of the transplanter, as will be later more fully set forth.

Seats 33 are rigidly secured to beams I Il and I9 for the operators of one unit and arranged forwardly of the seats are receptacles for the plants to be set in the ground. As illustrated these receptacles are in the nature of boxes 34 which are rigidly secured to the beams I6 and I9.

Seats 35 are provided for the operatorsof the other unit of the transplanter and these seats are rigidly secured to the beams I2 and 2| and these beams have also secured thereto forwardly of the seats 35 boxes 36 for the plants to be set in the ground.

Each transplanter unit includes the usual furrow opener 31 and furrow packing-and closing wheels 38. The furrow openers 31 and wheels 33 are mounted on an adjustable frame and, as this frame and the furrow openers and furrow closers form no part of the present invention and are common in transplanters now on the market, the same will not be described in detail.

It is to be noted, however, that each furrow opener 31 has associated therewith a water distributing valve device 39 (see Figure 4).

Each of the valve Structures 39 include a valve housing 40 and a spring pressed ball valve 4I. In .order to lift the ball Valve oi of its seat each valve housing slidably supports a valve rod 42. 'Ihe lower end of each valve rod is of a U shape and has its terminal fitted under its valve, so that when the rod is raised the valve will be unseated. A solenoid 43 is provided for operating each valve rod 42 and the upper end of each valve rod carries the core for its solenoid. The water conducting pipe 3l leads to the valve housing for one unit and Water conducting pipe 32 leads to valve housing for the other unit and when the valve rods are raised water will be supplied to the furrows.

Means is provided for simultaneously energizing the solenoids and for this purpose a circuit maker and breaker 44 is provided (see Figure 3). The circuit maker and breaker 44 includes a timing disk rotatably mounted on brackets 46 carried by the beam I4 adjacent to one ground wheel. As illustrated the brackets 46 are in the nature of bearings and support a shaft 41 to which is secured said timing disk. The disk carries the desired number of removable equi-distantly spaced laterally extending operating pins 138. |Ihe pins preferably carry rollers to diminish friction and wear. The shaft is driven at the desired speed from one of the ground wheels and in order to accomplish this, I provide a countershaft 46 rotatably carried by the beam I3. The countershaft is driven from one ground wheel by means of suitable pulleys and a pulley belt 50.

The countershaft drives the timer shaft 41 by means of a pulley belt 5I which is moveable to selected pulley wheels 52 and 53 carried respectively by the countershaft 49 and the timer shaft 41. A belt tightener 54 can be provided for the belt 5I, if such should be desired. Rockably mounted upon the beam 21 is a switch lever 55 and a. contractile coil spring 56 can be employed for holding the lever down toward the timer pins or studs 4'8. The switch lever 55 carries a contact point 51 which is adapted to engage an adjustable contact point 58 carried by the beam 2l when the lever is in its lowermost position. The lever is raised against the tension of the spring 56l by the timer pins or studs and when the lever rides off one of the pins the same moves downwardly so that the contact 51 will engage the contact 58. Line wires 59 and 66 lead respectively to the contacts 51 and 58, and the wire 60 has electrically connected therein the solenoids 43. The wires 59 and 60 lead to a suitable source of electrical energy, such as the generator or batteries of the tractor. If desired, a battery can be carried directly by the transplanter. The battery is indicated by the reference character 6I in the drawings.

The pins 48 are removable, so that the spacing thereof can be changed, in order to give a desired range of plant spacing inv the rows.

The contact point 58 is adjustable to providing a means of regulating the amount of water delivered to the furrow for each plant. The closer this point 58 is set to point 51 the longer will be the length of time that the circuit is closed and the valves open thus delivering more Water. In order to hold the circuit maker and breaker against operation, say during the turning of the planter or traveling to and fro from elds, I can provide a manually actuated latch 62. This latch can be swung under the latch lever 55 so as to hold the latch leve;` in a raised position and out of engagement with the pins 48.

In the use of my double row transplanter, the water tanks are filled and the plants are placed in the boxes 34 and 36. The operators take their;

places in the customary manner and the planter is pulled down the rows. The planter functions in the usual manner and the operators take the plants from the boxes and place the same in. the furrows as the same are opened by the furrow openers 31 'and at the same time the valves 39 are open to supply water.

Due to the arrangement of the units relative to one another one set of operators will be at one side of and in rear of the other vset of operators land consequently the operators will not interfere With one another. Stress is also placed on the electrical means employed for operating the Water Valves.

Changes in details may be made, but what I claim as new is:

l. In a two-row implement, a lsubstantially rectangular frame having a pair of side members and parallel front and rear members, an axle beam connected to said side members and extending diagonally from the rear portion of one of said side members to a portion of the other side member intermediate said front and rear members, a pair of ground Wheels carried on the i, lends of said axle beam in parallel relation to each other and to said side members, 'a pair off implements including seats for the operators of said implements carried by said frame on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said frame and closely adjacent said line, one of said implements being mounted Within said frame ahead of the ground Wheel adjacent the rear portion of said one side member, and the other of said implements being mounted on said frame behind said other ground Wheel and extending rearwardly of said rear member, whereby the implements may Work in closely spaced rows but the seats for the operators of the implements are spaced longitudinally so that the operators of one implement do not interfere with the operators of the other implement.

2. In an implement as described in claim 1, a seat for said one implement being mounted on said one side member, and a seat for the other implement being mounted on a rearward extension of the other side member.

3. In an implement as described in claim 2, said frame also having two longitudinal members disposed inwardly of said side members in parallel relation thereto and on opposite sides of 1said longitudinal center line, one of said longitudinal members being connected at its ends to said front member and axle beam and mounting a seat associated with said one implement, the other longitudinal member being connected to said front and rear members and having a rear end portion behind said rear member, and a seat associated with the other implement mounted on said rear end portion.

ALBERT A. SCHMITZ.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 182,569 Fagan Sept. 26, 1876 529,492 Hill et al Nov. 20, 1894 915,546 Briddell Mar. 16, 1909 1,475,061 Frawley Nov. 20, 1923 1,573,270 Pearson Feb. 16, 1926 1,807,474 England May 26, 1931 1,886,457 Winkley Nov. 8, 1932 2,534,798 Schneider Dec. 19, 1950 

